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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24434377">Talking to Him</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likara/pseuds/Likara'>Likara</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Mob, Banner is a psychiatrist, Captain America-Freeform, Dark Bucky Barnes, Dark Steve Rogers, Dubious Consent, F/M, Mild Smut, Mob Boss Steve Rogers, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Steve Rogers, Violence, don't know where this came from</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:27:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24434377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likara/pseuds/Likara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Banner has a new client. And she needs to talk to him about her fiance.</p><p> <em>"What does the voice say?" He asked tenderly.</em><br/><em>Jane looked down. Her voice only a whisper while she tried to hold back the tears. "That he is a horrible, horrible person." </em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner &amp; OFC (not romantic), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Part One - Where is my mind?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>Doctor Banner's office was modest but appealing. With an eloquent and intellectual aura about it. <em>Just like the man himself</em>, the woman thought.</p><p>There was no anteroom. Just his office, no secretary. When she had called to make an appointment, it'd took her several tries to reach him. He'd told her then that he worked on his own. <br/>But she guessed he had some sort of detergence. The furniture was at least ten years old - if not older - but timeless, neat, and well-tended. The carpet was grey and matched the curtains and a few plant pots (the plants were all just green and in excellent condition). The off white walls did the room well. The shelves, his desk, the small table between the four rather comfortable dark-brown leather armchairs were all in a beautiful deep honey brown. Aged, for sure, but from good quality and looked after. </p><p>At first glance, the middle-aged man didn't look like your typical psychiatrist. His hair was dark with first signs of grey at the temples. It was curly and seemed unruly and gave him a boyish look. His cheeks were covered in five days old stubbles, and his full lips were pulled into an attractive smile. The brown eyes looked friendly behind the glasses he wore. His clothes, a checked shirt, and trousers were clean but not ironed. There was an overall dorkiness about him as he let her into his office and told her to take a seat. He looked like a bookworm. She liked him right away.</p><p>"Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water?" He asked her, looking around the room. It was 9 am, and from what he'd said, she was his first appointment. So she guessed the place was cleaned by someone else other than himself, and he was looking for all those things he normally had in different places, <em>aka all over the place.</em></p><p>"No, I'm fine. Thank you."</p><p>"Mind if I have a coffee?"</p><p>"No, of course not."</p><p>The doctor went over to his desk. He reached for a mug on the shelf behind it and then for the coffee pot on the table. She watched as he took a careful sip from the dark brown liquid after pouring it in, before grabbing an agenda from the desk and coming back to the chairs. </p><p>He placed the mug on the side table and went through his calendar. "So, I'm sorry. I had kind of a late start this morning. Your name is Jane Smith, right? Sounds a bit like a made-up name." Dr. Banner chuckled, looking up from his book, only to see her slightly startled face. It was meant to be a joke, but...</p><p>"Would that be a problem?" Jane Smith's voice was calm, way more emotionless than her face.</p><p>"That depends." The doctor answered. </p><p>Her somewhat frightened face changed. She gave him a small smirk. "I'm paying cash. I can pay in advance even." She reached for her handbag, resting on the floor next to her when Docter Banner reached out his hand, implying for her to stop. </p><p>"No, that... that was not what I meant."</p><p>She leaned back into the chair slowly, waiting for him to continue. </p><p>"This here... this needs to be built on trust. From time to time I have clients that want to be anonymous. At least at first. And I'm not totally against it. I'm just saying that this here needs trust, it needs to be built. Without it, we both could save a lot of time, because I'm being honest with you... it will do no good."</p><p>She nodded and smiled at him. Warmly. He guessed she understood but wasn't ready for said trust.</p><p>He made a mental note. <em>Have to see if it'll be worthwhile.</em> </p><p>"Alright, so... Jane. Is it okay to call you Jane?" He grinned at her, and she grinned back - again - nodding. "Why are you here today?"</p><p>"You are straight to the point. No more small talk? About the weather or politics or something?" Jane replied.</p><p>"You don't seem like someone who wants to sugarcoat things. Or has time to do so."</p><p>"I guess I'm not." </p><p>Silence.</p><p>"Do you want to talk about the weather?" The Doctor finally asked, taking another sip of coffee.</p><p>Jane gave him a half-grin. "I'm not really sure why I'm here, to be honest." </p><p>"You don't think there is a genuine reason for you to be here?" </p><p>"Oh no, there is a real reason. Plenty of reasons. I'm just not... I'm not sure it will do any good."</p><p>"Jane, I won't promise you that you will walk out of this office and everything that brought you here this morning will simply disappear. But you already know that. And it's your choice. We can talk about eighties music, or I can tell you about my trip to Hawaii seven years ago. Or you tell me why you called me. It makes no big difference to me, I'm getting paid in cash either way."</p><p>She gave him a short, but wholehearted laugh before she sobered quickly. </p><p>"What if what I'll tell you... would put you in danger?"<br/>Doctor Banner took a deep breath, his face looked kind of grim now. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. His voice was surprisingly soft as he spoke.</p><p>"If that is the case, I have to insist on you to tell me what troubles you. Nothing you say to me will ever leave this room. I can at least promise you that."</p><p>She simply smiled at him. </p><p>"What is the reason for you to see me, Jane?" </p><p>"I don't know if I can trust my own judgment anymore, Doctor Banner."</p><p>"Bruce, if you don't might."</p><p>"I don't."</p><p>Banner endured the silence. He wanted her to continue on her own. It took a few more seconds before she did.</p><p>"I'm not sure if I'm slowly losing my mind or if I just... I got myself to deep into something that is beyond my control. When I say that I don't know if it'll do any good, I mean that it might be too late to change it."</p><p>Banner nodded slowly. "I guess I understand that. But since you're here I guess you also thought it's worth a try."</p><p>Jane sighed. "Yeah, I guess."</p><p>"What makes you doubt your mind, Jane?"</p><p>It truly seemed like she wanted to answer but struggled, so Banner tried it differently. </p><p>"Is it an event, a person, or many things? All of it?"</p><p>She laughed humorlessly. "I guess all of it."</p><p>It took a few more seconds before she finally breathed: "I'm involved with someone."</p><p>"Woman or man?"</p><p>"Man."</p><p>"He is your husband?"</p><p>"Fiance."</p><p>He already knew that. She'd taken off the ring, but a slightly lighter strip on her ring finger had betrayed her. </p><p>"Congratulations."</p><p>"Thanks." It was fascinating for the doctor how many emotions she could put in such a small word. Sarcasm, sadness, fear, but also happiness and even a little bit of guild.</p><p>
  <em>Guild... Maybe for being happy.</em>
</p><p>"What is his name?"</p><p>She hesitated. "Grant."</p><p>
  <em>Another false name.</em>
</p><p>"How did you and Grant meet?" </p><p>"Well, we met one year ago... quite the old fashion way, I would say. At a bar. I was out with friends, he was there with some pals as well. He bought me a drink, and we talked for a little while. I'm not... I didn't want to give him my number. So, when he asked... I took his."</p><p>"Can't be too careful. Or was it a way of getting rid of him at first?"</p><p>"No, I... I was very unassertive... about him being interested in me."</p><p>"How so?" Banner asked, crossing his legs.</p><p>She seemed to be a little embarrassed as she answered, leaning forward slightly and talking with her hands as well.</p><p>"I'm not saying I'm totally plain. Or hideous or ugly. I was always quite confident, I think. He was not the first guy that asked me for my number or bought me a drink. I mean... we're in New York. But... Grant. He's a remarkably attractive man. It is really quite striking. And I mean his whole appearance. Besides being handsome, he was eloquent, polite, charming, and funny. And everything without overdoing it. I never... I never met someone like this. I was intimidated."</p><p>"Taking his number was a way to take some control of it."</p><p>"Yeah, and to make sure it wasn't a joke." She agreed. </p><p>"But you did call him?"</p><p>"Four days later, I wrote him a text."</p><p>"Well?"</p><p>A smile came to her face that was way too nostalgic for such a young relationship.</p><p>"We texted for a while. A week maybe. Then went on a date. It was nice, more than that but not... spectacular. We had dinner at a nice but not too pricey restaurant. He paid, opened the doors for me, asked me questions but told me stories of his own. It was summer, so afterward we went for a walk in the park, and then he brought me home and left me with a rather nice goodnight kiss at my door."</p><p>Banner was quiet, he sensed that she wasn't done yet. Jane took a deep breath and continued. </p><p>"We saw each other regularly after that. Got to know each other. He said he had his own company. A small organization. Real estate, homes and office buildings. I was impressed. But he was humble about it, said it was no big deal and not much more. Everything was really... normal. We went for dinner, the movies, coffee on my lunch break. The usual stuff. My first impression stayed. He seemed like an overall great guy. Charming and funny and generous. Not excessively. He insisted on paying when we went out, though I insisted on cooking dinner for us at my place from time to time. He sent me flowers to my office once or twice. I got a Tiffany necklace for my birthday that surely was expensive but it wasn't like diamonds all over, so... modest enough."</p><p>Another pause. Another sigh. </p><p>"We did the usual, pretty much. He met some of my friends, I met only one of his - Samuel. Nice enough guy, funny and charming. And he talked a lot about his childhood best friend but said he was busy so I couldn't meet him. My family doesn't live here but my mother and sister visit once and we went for dinner one evening together. They loved him!" Jane laughed, but it didn't hold any happiness. Only dark amusement. <br/>"He was almost perfect and of course they loved him. Still do."</p><p>"Did you meet his family too?"</p><p>Jane shook her head slowly.</p><p>"No, he said he has none left. He doesn't have any siblings and his parents both died when he was pretty young, almost still a teenager."</p><p>"You believed him?"</p><p>"I had no reason not to." She shrugged. "And it fits, I guess. No, he doesn't have any family. Not by blood at least."</p><p>"He does sound like a great guy." Doctor Banner agreed with her earlier statement, and she looked at him intensely. Her voice quieter when she spoke next.</p><p>"He seems to be too good to be true. And you know what they're saying about things that seem to be too good to be true."</p><p>"They usually aren't."</p><p>"Exactly."</p><p>"And is he, Jane? Is it untrue?"</p><p>Jane looked away from the doctors searching brown eyes and stared at the window. "I think he is," she whispered.</p><p>She took a deep breath, her voice stronger when she continued. <br/>"I moved in with him after six months. A few of my friends thought this was too soon. But I'm not in my twenties anymore. I thought... I had... experience. And why wait? We got along great! And he... he is kind of oldfashioned. He said he wasn't into this whole dating game. That's why he was single for quite a while and he wanted us to live together. I didn't think he was pushy. Just... really open about his feelings and that he wanted an "<em>us</em>". He lives in a really nice apartment in Manhattan. I mean, really nice. Central Park view. This should have intimidated me. But strangely, after a few weeks with him, it really didn't. He told me he bought it a while ago, as an investment, with the first real money he made. And he was always so modest and humble about it, downplaying it even. I thought I simply found a decent guy, who might happened to be wealthy but no Bill Gates or something. Just some clever dude that played his cards right at one point. That was what he once told me."</p><p>Again a deep breath.</p><p>"I guess I started to noticed little things as soon as I moved in. Late-night phone calls he only took when I was out of earshot. And I found him in his office at the apartment in the middle of the night, looking over papers and into his laptop at least twice a week. And he always closed the laptop or hid the papers before I could see what he was doing. Not that I was trying. Really! I had no suspicion back then. Looking back I just think there were signs."</p><p>Jane looked at Banner again, smiling softly and shaking her head at the look on his face.</p><p>"Oh no, Bruce. No. Not that. He wasn't... he isn't cheating. This isn't about infidelity."</p><p>"Didn't say it was." He held up his hands, slightly surprised that she could read his thoughts. But then again, she seemed like a bright person.</p><p>"It isn't." Jane went on, ignoring his statement. "No... Grant was very into me, devoted even. Still is, I guess." She looked back to the window, then down to her lap. Bruce noticed that her hands stopped moving with her speech a while ago, they were folded in her lap neatly.</p><p>"The first thing that felt... off was the car thing. He used a driver. That itself was quite... normal, I guess. With his work, he had to go to a lot of meetings and we're in New York City. But I just assumed he hired a company for that, you know. He was always driving in really nice cars. Audi, Mercedes... and not off-the-rack stuff. Oh no, the really nice once. He had two main drivers - or so I thought - Clint and Scott."</p><p>Jane's eyes found the doctor's again.</p><p>"One day, Clint got me after work. I had to stay late in the office - I'm an editor... non-fiction, boring stuff. I... Grant... he always sends me a car if I stay late, so I don't have to take the subway. So, shortly after Clint got me, we had an accident. A minor one. Some driver was on the phone, hit the drivers side. No one was hurt. Still, we got out of the car, talking to the other driver. It was clearly his fault and he wanted to call the police, exchange insurance details. What every good citizen would do. Well, I hear Clint talking on the phone with St... mmh... Grant, telling him that there was a small accident and that we'll be late. And then Clint took the other driver to the side. I have no idea what they talked about but they ended the conversation with a handshake and the other guy got back into the car. I asked Clint what that was and he simply said everything is fine and taken care of. And when I asked why he didn't call his boss he only blinked at me and said he just did and Grant said it's fine. Then it hit me."</p><p>"He's paying the drivers directly?" Bruce offered.</p><p>"More than that. He owns everything. He owns every fucking car. And the two drivers that drive us are his employees. I confronted him about it when I was home. He brushed it off. I mean... he never actively lied about it... but he just let me think that it was a rental service, and not his property. I mean, at least ten high-end cars of what I know of! That is expensive. You can even call it excessive. The cars need to be taken care of, need a garage. That's a lot of money. I was kind of... I don't know. It didn't feel right. But Grant.... he just played it down. Said he didn't want me to worry. He said he’d feared I would have reservations about using the drivers that were <em>his</em>. Or that I might be afraid of any damage. And he wasn't wrong... I once did mention that I could never own such a car. It would be a shame to damage it even as a co-driver and that I'm glad those driver services have insurance." </p><p>"Did you talk to some friends or maybe your mother and sister about this?" Bruce wanted to know.</p><p>Jane nodded but shrugged at the same time. "I mentioned it, sure. To a few friends. I don't really talk to my mother or sister about something like this. My friends thought I was overreacting. They said, maybe he didn't want to scare me off by being even more well-off. Or wanted to make sure I wasn't just after his money."</p><p>"That might even be true," Bruce suggested. </p><p>There was another long pause. </p><p>"You don't think so." It wasn't a question, but Jane nodded no less.</p><p>At that moment he thought about calling it a day. They hadn't come far, but it was the first meeting. <br/>The doctor checked his watch while his new client stared out of the window again. They didn't have much time left, but he knew there was more, far more, and his next appointment was at twelve, so he decided to push it a little more. He wasn't sure if his woman would come to his office again and... she'd made him curious.</p><p>"What else Jane? What had happened that you doubt your mind and seek out a mediocre New York psychiatrist?"</p><p>She looked at him, with a genuine smile. "I heard many things about you, Bruce. Mediocre was not one of them. Far from it."</p><p>He shrugged and grinned. "Well then, go on."</p><p>Jane took a deep breath. "I think if it's not too late, I would like to take some water."</p><p>The Doctor looked at her confused at first but then jumped into action. "Of course, one moment." <br/>As he got up, looking for the water bottle that had to be somewhere, Jane collected her thoughts. She hadn't told anybody about that day. She had no idea how to tell it. But she needed to. Needed to finally tell someone. And if she was crazy, well... then she was in the right place.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Part Two - Down the Rabbit Hole</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The session continues....</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Three months earlier</strong>
</p><p>She waved at the security guy sitting behind the counter. He nodded back at her. He wasn't the friendliest person in the world, but those in his profession rarely were.</p><p>The woman made her way to the one elevator that would get her up to her fiance's office. She still couldn't believe she <em>had</em> a fiance, couldn't believe she would become the wife of Steven Grant Rogers. </p><p>But here she was, with a diamond ring on her finger. A perfect ring, from Tiffany’s of course, not too much, just the right fit. She loved it. Just like she loved the man who gave it to her. Falling in love with Steve had been easy, and loving him was no different. She was always one to overthink things, to be extra careful, and doubting her own decisions. Yet she had no doubts when it came to Steve. </p><p>His wealth sometimes distressed and overwhelmed her, yes. They already had some discussion about a pre-up. She insisted on one, even threatening she wouldn't marry him without. They still hadn't come to terms with it. Steve was old-fashioned in some ways. He'd said that they would never get a divorce because, in his mind, marriage is forever anyways. She thought it was romantic, sure. But she didn't want to be labeled as a golddigger. Even if that yet had to happen.</p><p>She pressed in the code for the elevator to open and bring her to the fancy penthouse-office-floor her fiance called his own. She'd visited him here only two or three times before. But he always said he liked it when she came by. Today, she wanted to surprise him, so she hadn’t called him beforehand. He'd told her this morning that he had a boring day, no meetings, just paperwork. So, she thought he would like a break with her. She brought two coffees from his favorite Barista and some cake from the bakery down the block. </p><p>He did so many nice things for her. She enjoyed giving something back.</p><p>When she reached the 25th floor, her kitten heels made soft clicking noises on the marble floor of the entry. Wanda, Steve's assistant, was usually there, but this time her spot was empty. <br/>Looking down the floor, Jane could see the intern, Peter, sitting in one of the chairs in the lounge. His back was to her, and it looked like he had some earphones in, while his focus was on something - properly a device in his hands - in front of him. She grinned, shaking her head, and made her way to Steve's office door. </p><p>She knocked softly but didn't wait for anybody to answer before opening the door.</p><p>"Hey babe, I-"</p><p>The woman froze. Still the doorknob in her hand, she looked at the wrong end of a gun, that was pointing to her face. The rest of her still unmoving, her gaze wandered past the gun, up to the person that was holding it.</p><p>Cold steel blue eyes were looking back at her.</p><p>"Damned, Bucky! Put that down." A voice said.</p><p>The cold-eyed man slowly lowered the gun but kept staring at her. She stared right back till she felt hands on her cheeks. Her face was turned and she looked at a familiar set of bright eyes. </p><p><em>Steve</em>.</p><p>Now she also recognized his voice. </p><p>"Shoot sweetheart, are you alright?" Steve took the paper-tray-thing - with the coffee cups in it - out of her hand, as well as the bag with the cake. That's when she realized that she shook so hard, she had spilled some of the hot coffee over her hand. It burned quite a bit.</p><p>"C'mon, we have to put something cold on that."</p><p>He shoved the cups in Bucky's hand and put his on her elbow and back, guiding her to the small private bathroom in his office. It was only now, that she noticed two more men in the room. One was Sam. She knew him, had met him a few times.  He was standing beside an armchair in front of the desk. The other man sat in said armchair. He had his back to her. She only saw the back of his head.</p><p>She had no idea why, maybe it was intuition, maybe just a reflex, but just before entering the bathroom she turned her head, just as the stranger in the chair did the same. And she could see the profile of his face. His battered face. </p><p>Steve practically dragged her into the room, closing the door behind them. He said nothing as he carefully rolled up the sleeve of her blouse before letting the cold water wash over her skin.<br/>She looked down to see the red and angry burn. It wasn't too bad but ached no less. </p><p>Her sight went to Steve. He was totally focused on her hand. She could see that his jaw was stiff, even under that thick beard he wore. He had grown out his hair in the last couple of months. A few strands fell into his forehead, making him even more handsome.</p><p>A thousand questions went through her mind. Who was this guy? Why was he beaten up? Did they do that to him? Why pointed the long lost best friend of her fiance a gun to her face? And why wasn't he saying anything?</p><p>"So, that is Bucky?" She heard herself ask without really planing it.</p><p>The hint of a smile was on Steve's face. He still wasn't looking at her while he answered.</p><p>"Yeah, that's him."</p><p>"I thought he was still in Europe." She said quietly. </p><p>"He came back a while ago." Steve turned off the water. He grabbed a towel and carefully dried her hand.</p><p>"Why didn't you tell me? I thought-"</p><p>"I'm sorry for his behavior." He interrupted her, finally looking her in the eyes. </p><p>"He was pointing a gun to my face, Steve. Why is he even carrying one?" She said slowly.</p><p>Steve sighed. He let go of her hand and started rubbing her arms, his eyes never leaving hers. "Bucky, he... he went through a lot. He's wary, you could say. I had no idea you would stop by. And normally Pete is supposed to announce visitors. He was just being careful."</p><p>"I think that's an understatement." </p><p>Steve grinned. "Nah, not really." Then his face went serious again. "Why did you come by today?"</p><p>"I bought coffee and cake. You said you'll have a boring day. I wanted to surprise you."</p><p>Steve just kept on watching her closely, his face unmoving. The first time ever, she felt uneasy under his intense, searching gaze. Did he think she was lying? Why should she lie?</p><p>Almost when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, he smiled and bend down to kiss her forehead, whispering another apology, then he hugged her.</p><p>"Who was the man in the chair?" she asked quietly while her cheek was pressed to his shoulder. </p><p>"Just a client," Steve answered, pressing her more tightly to his large, firm body. </p><p>"What happened to his face?" The hand that was stroking her hair sightly stopped before continuing.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"His face. I saw it. He looked like he was just run over by a truck."</p><p>"Oh, sweetheart. Maybe it was the stress or a trick of the light. His face is just fine," Steve answered casually. </p><p>She struggled to get out of his hold and after a few seconds of him not letting go, which again, made her feel a little uneasy, he finally let her look at his face.</p><p>"I know what I saw, Steve. It was not stress. He was beaten-up."</p><p>A gentle smile graced his face. And the woman couldn't help but think that it was that kind of smile you gave a child that just woke up from a nightmare, insisting on the fact that there was a monster under their bed. She didn't know it yet, but she would see this kind of smile more often from now on. </p><p>"Sweetheart, really. There's nothing wrong with his face. C'mon. We go out there and you can look for yourself."</p><p>He grabbed her good hand and went out before she could say anything else. </p><p>The office was empty, except for Sam who now was sitting in the same chair the stranger just sat in, eating some of the cake she bought. </p><p>"Enjoying yourself? This was my cake." Steve asked.</p><p>"And it's really good," Sam answered happily without taking his eyes off the sweets in his hand.</p><p>Steve sighed. "Our guest is already gone?" Sam looked up and nodded. "Yeah, said he has some other business to attend to. Barnes sees him out. Hey honey, sorry for the rough welcoming." He grinned at the woman. </p><p>"Okay. Was he alright when he left?" Steve wanted to know and Sam looked truly confused.</p><p>"Good as new, as far as I can tell. Why?" Sam asked, looking at his boss and friend, then at her.</p><p>"No reason. Just checking." </p><p>Sam nodded but looked unconvinced. </p><p>She felt stupid. Really stupid. Maybe the gun in her face had truly spooked her and she was just seeing things. <br/> <br/>But the thought vanished at the moment Sam stood up and she saw a dark spot on the beige rug.</p><p><em>What the hell is going on? </em> <em>Was that blood on the carpet? </em></p><p>"What is this?" She pointed at the stain.</p><p>"Oh, Barnes spilled even more coffee," Sam answered lightheartedly. </p><p>It didn't look like coffee. But she couldn't voice her opinion anymore since Peter decided to enter the scene.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, sir. I was... I haven't..." The barely 20-year-old boy stuttered as he came through the door.</p><p>"We'll talk about it later. Call Clint, tell him to wait outside." </p><p>She never heard him talking in such a hard, cold tone before. Pete just nodded, leaving the room. </p><p>Steve turned to her. </p><p>"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Sam ate our cake, the coffee is spilled." He grinned. "And I'm busier than I thought I would be today. Clint will drive you home. I'll make it up to you later."</p><p>"I'm... I... have to go back to my office. I-"</p><p>"I'll have someone call your office. Darling, this was quite stressful for you. And I'm sorry. You should go home and relax a little, alright? I'll be home as soon as I can." His tone was gentle, but still final, leaving no room for argument. </p><p>Sam brought her down to the car. The ride home with Clint was silent. He accompanied her to the front door of the apartment, saying the boss insisted on it.</p><p>She felt lightheaded, she had to admit. She still couldn't process what had happened. Maybe she was overreacting, and this wasn't so big of a deal? <br/>But on the other hand...<br/>The incident with the gun and Bucky was one thing... thinking that her fiance and his friends were beating up a man in Steve's office a whole other thing. But did they?  Why lying about his face? Steve said she just saw things that weren't there. And Sam seemed truly confused by Steve's questions. And how could she even think something like that happened?!<br/>She tried to do some work on her laptop but kept getting distracted by her own thoughts. <br/>After a few hours, she stopped trying. A headache was beginning to rise and she hoped a shower would help.</p><p>It didn't. So she closed all the blinds in their bedroom and laid down, but sleep didn't come either. It was around 9 pm when she heard the front door.</p><p>"Sweetheart?"</p><p>"I'm in here." Her voice wasn't more than a whisper, but he was walking into the room anyways.</p><p>"Hey, are you alright?" Steve asked, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was taking off his jacket and shoes. </p><p>"Yeah, just a headache. It'll pass." He nodded and sat down beside her on the bed.</p><p>"You need to relax a little, come on. Turn over."</p><p>"Steve, I don't think-"</p><p>"Turn over. You know it'll help. And I promised to make it up to you."</p><p>She sighed. He could be so persistent. Sometimes it was easier to just go with it. And he had a point...</p><p>So, she rolled over to lay on her stomach. She felt him move. She was only wearing hotpants and a tank top to sleep in. Steve started to knead her calves, one after the other. His big and strong hands knew exactly what she liked. Some liked a good back massage. But for her, it was all about her legs. She loved how he touched her, and it took only a few minutes for her to moan in delight. </p><p>Still, there was this nagging question in the back of her head and she really, really needed to get it out. </p><p>"Steve?" She more or less whispered as he was giving his full attention to her thighs.</p><p>"Yes, darling?"</p><p>"Who was the man in your office today?"</p><p>His hands didn't stop. "Just a client, sweetheart."</p><p>"Yeah, I get that. But what is his name?"</p><p>There was a bit of hesitation in his movements now. "Why do you want to know?"</p><p>"I don't know, I just do."</p><p>"I can't speak about my clients, love. You should know that." He sounded slightly annoyed now and that was new. Steve was rarely annoyed, especially with her.</p><p>"You don't have to talk about him I just want to know his name. What's the big deal?"</p><p>"What's the deal with you wanting to even know the name?" Okay, he was clearly annoyed now. His hands stilled on her skin.</p><p>"I just like to know, I don't see why this is a problem."</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"Why can't you just-"</p><p>"Enough of this already!" Steve growled. She was shocked. She never heard him talk like this. </p><p>Before she could say or do anything else, she felt him move. </p><p>He was above her, his knees on either side of her legs and he was pushing her shorts over her ass.</p><p>"What are you doing?!" She asked, trying to get up, but he put too much weight on her legs, she could only turn her upper body to look at him in the dark.</p><p>"You need to relax. And clearly, the massage isn't working."</p><p>"Steve! Let me up!"</p><p>"No." He said calmly. He had her hips in a death grip. It hurt slightly and she struggled, but Steve didn't let go and she was too shocked to do anything anyways. Then he moved his body and lifted her ass up in the air. He pressed his face between her somewhat spared legs before she knew what hit her. He already had her whimpering when the first finger entered her. Steve knew exactly how to play her body, so he had her coming on his fingers and tongue in no time. <br/>She was still catching her breath when he finally rolled her over on her back. Steve got up from the bed. </p><p>As her brain finally worked again she saw him watching her, standing at the foot of the bed, naked, stroking his erection. When she moved to get up he was on her.</p><p>"Oh, don't even think about it. I'm not nearly done with you." He grinned.</p><p>He was insatiable that night. He made her come so many times, took her so hard, she knew she would feel it in the morning. She felt like she was truly marked by him.</p><p>But it did the trick. When he finally let her drift away in his arms, her mind was exhausted and blank. </p><p><br/>...</p><p>
  <br/>
  <strong>Present day</strong>
</p><p>Doctor Banner listened carefully and quietly as she told him about the day that started it all. The only thing Jane changed was how the day ended. She told him that she had been already asleep when her fiance had come back home.</p><p>"He was already gone when I woke up the next morning. We never... never talked about it again. But I... I think about this day every day since then." Jane ended her tale. Her mouth was dry... she drank the rest of her water.</p><p>"Mmh." Banner crossed his arms, rubbing his chin. "Your feelings about this friend are understandable. It seems like your fiance kind of dismissed your concern about this man's actions. The whole situation was very strange. Something like this can be traumatic. It's normal for you-"</p><p>She shook her head. "It's not about that. If it had been only that... but... this man. The man with the battered face..."</p><p>"You truly think that Grant and his friends have hurt this man?"</p><p>Jane's mouth was in a hart line. It took her a few seconds before she spoke again.</p><p>"After that day... I guess I was kind of withdrawn. Grant asked me a couple of times if I was okay. He apologized again, on his friend's behalf. But I started to noticed things... those things I told you about. And something else."</p><p>Jane looked at the clock, then she continued. "He has this friend. She also works for him. Nat... Nathalie. She's nice enough. I met her a few times. All of a sudden, she started to spend time with me. Called me on my break and asked if I wanted to have lunch with her. She offered to help with the planning for the wedding. I'm not particularly interested in this kind of stuff, nor very good at it and my female relatives live far away. So it was nice... but just... I thought it was strange that she wanted to spend so much time with me."</p><p>"What does that mean? How often do you see her?"</p><p>"About two or three times a week. At least once a week for sure."</p><p>"And you think Grant told her to do that?"</p><p>Jane nodded. "I mean, why would she be interested in spending time with me all of the sudden?"</p><p>"Did she help with the wedding preparation?"</p><p>"I guess. I mean... yeah, she did."</p><p>"Mmh."</p><p>Jane was quiet, sensing that the doctor had to say something. </p><p>"So you think he told his friend to keep an eye on you. To spy... on you?"</p><p>He could already see the answer on her face. So he continued.<br/>"A few moments ago you said that you were kind of withdrawn. Maybe Grant did tell his friend to check on you since he was worried about you. His intention might have been out of concern."</p><p>Jane's face showed nothing but conflict. She looked out of the window. </p><p>"But there is more..." Bruce assumed, after a few seconds of silence, while writing <em>paranoid</em>? down on his notebook. </p><p>She nodded slowly. </p><p>"The man. The stranger in the office... a few weeks later, I found out who he was."</p><p>"Who he was? Don't you mean-"</p><p>"No." Jane looked at the doctor, her voice calm. "I mean was. He's dead."</p><p>Bruce couldn't help but look surprised. "How do you know that?"</p><p>"It was a total coincidence, I guess. I'm not much of a news-watcher. Just the important, basic stuff. But one day, about three weeks later, I read an article about a body that was found in the Houston River. It was the picture that caught my attention. The dead man was... well, he was known. His name was Brock Rumlow."</p><p>Doctor Banner nodded slowly, tapping his chin with his forefinger. "Yeah, I know of that guy. I read it, too. He drowned. He was some kind of drug lord. A big fish, I guess."</p><p>"I searched the internet. Looked for every information I could find. This man... he was brutal. He had been linked with so many crimes. Awful things. The list was endless. He was found roughly three weeks after he died. It said his death... it was a mob murder. Done by someone even more monstrous than him."</p><p>He was deep in thoughts for a few moments before he focused on the woman in front of him again. Jane's eyes were glassy. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.</p><p>"Jane, you think your fiance has something to do with the murder of a local hardened criminal?" </p><p>The woman didn't answer. She looked down on her lap. Bruce just wanted to call her name when he heard her.</p><p>"I... I have this voice in me. One that says... that he loves me. That he is a good person. Just someone who sometimes does terrible things."</p><p>She swallowed hard. </p><p>"But there is also this other voice. The one that whispers to me in the daylight and... shouts at me in the dark."</p><p>Doctor Banner studied her silently for a while before he finally took off his glasses, looking her straight in the eyes.</p><p>"What does this voice say?" He asked tenderly.</p><p>Jane looked down. Her voice only a whisper while she tried to hold back the tears.</p><p>"That he is a horrible, horrible person." She looked up, her red-rimmed eyes staring into the doctor's gentle ones. "Who sometimes does good things."</p><p>It was Bruce's turn to swallow hard. Whatever her anxiety was the result of a mental issue or a sincere threat, the pure fear in her eyes was very real. The woman was terrified.</p><p>"Jane, I want you to be honest with me. And remember, nothing you'll say will ever leave this room... did your fiance ever hurt you, did he ever turn violent, or is he controlling?"</p><p>Jane shook her head. "No, no... he's not. He never hurt me. He's... he's good to me."</p><p>"But you fear him?"</p><p>"I fear what he might be. What he's capable of. Still, it's hard to describe."</p><p>"Are you sure the man in the office was this Rumlow guy? You did say you only saw his profile. And you said his face was... well..."</p><p>"It was him."</p><p>"How can you be so sure? You only saw him for a few seconds? In a situation where you were really stressed. You know... at crime scenes... when three witnesses are questioned, you get five different stories. Five descriptions. We can't fully rely on our memory in situations like this."</p><p>Jane looked truly troubled. And unsure. </p><p>"I know that." She whispered. "I do. And I know that... what I say may sound crazy. I know what I'm indicating."</p><p>Bruce suddenly wished he hadn't pressed her to tell him more. It was a long session and he needed to end it soon, but he had no idea how to end it on a positive note. Was it possible that this woman's fiance was a first-class Mob boss? You never know... Did he believe it? No, not really. But either way, this case was far too interesting to let the first meeting end like this.</p><p>"I... I don't remember reading anything in the papers about him being beaten up. They only say he drowned."</p><p>Jane shrugged. "Yeah, but they don't tell you everything. Perpetrator's knowledge, you know." She seemed defeated and Bruce did something he normally wouldn't do. He made it personal.</p><p>"Jane, I can't convince you that the man in the office wasn't this dead gangster. Because simply, I don't know if he wasn't. But I might have a way to find out if Brock Rumlow's face was beaten."</p><p>Pure surprise was on Jane's face.</p><p>"I have a friend who works in the M.E.'s office. He owns me a favor. I promise you, I will call him and find out if he was beaten. I might even get the report. You come back next week for a second meeting. The same day, same time. And if it's true... I promise you, I'll help you however I can."</p><p>"That's..."</p><p>"But, you have to promise me to give the possibility more room, that your anxiety might have a different cause. Believe me, I take everything into consideration, I take you very serious and I believe you. But you also have to put a little trust in me." </p><p>They shared a long look before Jane nodded, looking scared and hopeful at the same time.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, I'll see you next week."</p><p>Jane gave the doctor one last exhausted but also honest smile before he closed the door.  </p><p>He hadn't wanted to be paid just yet. Maybe, she thought, he wanted to make sure she came back next week. Even if only her guilty conscience would drive her here.</p><p>Jane still smiled when she walked down the stairs. She didn't know what she had expected from this visit, but she guessed it was as good as it could be. No matter what would happen next week, or in the future, if she only lost her mind or her freedom, going to doctor Banner felt like the right thing to do. Talking to him had been a strange relief.</p><p>The woman stepped out into the sunny June day, feeling better than she did in weeks.</p><p>Her eyes went to look for a cab, then she froze in her tracks.</p><p>At first, she noticed the black Mercedes, then Bucky, who was leaning against the front passenger door. Then her eyes found the man who stood right next to him. He wore the grey suit he put on this morning and took off his sunglasses as he walked into her direction, putting it into his pocket. He looked as handsome as ever.</p><p>All the tender hope she had when she walked out of Doctor Banner's office seconds ago was washed away in an instant. </p><p>Seeing him here made it all true. So horrible true. She was right. Every dark, awful thought she had was <em>right</em>. </p><p>"Steve..." she whispered. She couldn't move a muscle.</p><p>"Did it help?" He asked her gently as he stood right in front of her.</p><p>"I... what..." she breathed. Her ears were ringing. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. </p><p>"Talking to him. Did it help?" His face was so calm, it almost made her shook in fear. This wasn't right. He was here. He knew.</p><p>She just stared at him.</p><p>"I hoped it would help you. You know... I met him. He and Natascha had a thing going on. A few years ago. But you know Natascha. She's kind of strange... doesn't think she deserves happiness. But I liked him. Seemed like a nice guy."</p><p>Numbly she watched as he took her bag out of her hand and handled it to Clint who came up behind him. Her eyes followed the driver for a moment as he walked back to the car.</p><p>"Steve." She whispered again. </p><p>She trembled as he reached out his hand to push a strand of hair behind her ear, a gesture so tender, it hurt. </p><p>Helplessly she watched Bucky move passed them and into the building.</p><p>"Steve, I..." She swallowed, her throat dry. "Please don't hurt him." She pressed out.</p><p>He looked at her hard, his face was suddenly grim. "I'm not angry, more disappointed. I understand that you need to talk to someone. I just think that my wife should come to me with her worries."</p><p>She felt the need to correct him. She wasn't his wife. At least not yet. But she didn't dare. Even if she could have made her voice work.</p><p>"I know that those last weeks were hard on you. But it was hard for me as well, sweetheart." He stepped closer, one hand went to her hip, one to her shoulder. His grip wasn't painful, but firm. "To feel you, laying awake in my arms at night, without being able to do anything. Watching you worry so much, searching the internet for all those horrible things. Shh... it's okay now, sweetheart."</p><p>She was having trouble breathing, a sob escaped her lips. He knew. Always knew. </p><p>Steve stroked her arms. "C'mon now."</p><p>Panic rose in her. "Steve. Please." She stood her ground as he took her hand and started to move towards the vehicle. She looked up to the office of the man who's death sentence she may just have signed.</p><p>Steve sighed. "The doctor will be just fine. Bucky's just making sure everyone is safe. Doctor Banner won't even remember his visit." She had no idea what that meant, nor if it was a good or bad thing. He stepped in front of her again, drawing her closer by the hips. His grip leaving no room for argument. "So, we're going home now, alright? I think... it's time <em>we</em> talk." </p><p>And just like that, he gave her a charming smile. Then one of his large hands was on her face. He bent down, pressing his lips on hers. The kiss was hard and deep, but it wasn't the only reason why she felt dizzy when he finally pulled away. </p><p>She barely remembered getting into the car. But she did notice when Bucky came back outside and got into the front seat. <br/>Steve's hand was on her thigh as they drove, like always. But this time the burning in her skin was so very different from all the times before.</p><p>"You know..." His voice broke the silence and she flinched noticeably. He sighed again, moving closer to her. "You can go see him again, it might help you..." She felt his fingers on her chin and he turned her head, making her look at him. "I let you talk to him. But we have to set a few rules first. One of them would be that you talk to <em>me</em>, too."</p><p><em>Talk to him?</em> She nearly laughed at that thought. She might have, but at the moment, breathing in his presence was hard enough. His blue eyes were staring into hers. Only when she nodded her head and squeezed out an "okay" with a voice that sounded just slightly like hers, the usual affection floated his eyes. He pulled her into his arms, his hand caressing her face and hair.</p><p>"Give it time, my love. This will be easier than you might think. You'll see. I'll make you see." He whispered before his lips captured hers again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have NO idea where this came from. It was in my head and I needed to get it out. I'm not into the MOB-AU this much, even though I appreciate some of it very much. But this... just came over me.</p><p>It will be a two-part story. But I'm a little bit torn about it... I might make a long story out of it. I have a few ideas but I'm not sure.</p><p>What do you guys think? Please let me know.</p><p>Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>*I'm not a native english speaker* so please be gentle</p></blockquote></div></div>
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